Electric fence charging system



Oct. 12, 1943. T. s. HARRIS ELECTRIC FENCE CHARGING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1940 Th we nilfim Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC FENCE CHARGING SYSTEM v Thaddeus S. Harris, Waverly, Ill. Application January 12, 1940; Serial No. 313,543

2 Claims.

This invention relat'esto an improved form of the control unit as shown and described in my previous patent application No. 266,990, filed April 10, 1939. This unit may, of course, be used wherever it is desired to provide intermittent electric service of the type provided. As also provided for in'my previously described invention, the advantages sought by this construction are to increase the life of the operating battery, by providing for intermittent operation of the unit, and when used in connection with an electric fence, to provide fora wide variation in the strength of the high voltage impulses, as a protection to stock, particularly in wet weather. Furtheradvantages of the construction here described, as compared to the previous disclosure are to provide a simplerand more dependable make and break mechanism, and an added manual control lever whereby the duration of the periods of inoperation may be varied, when using a retarding unit of the liquid dashpot type.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows aside elevation of the complete unit, with some of the parts shown in section. Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the main and return raceways. Figure 3 shows a sectional detail along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the base I and attached panel I support the different parts. A two winding coil unit, 2, has the primary terminals, 3, 3' and the secondary terminals 4, 4. The core 5 of coil 2 has disposed before itthe lever B which 1 is mounted by the fiat spring 5, and carries the armature plate 6'. Back of lever B is the lever I which is mounted by the fiat spring 5". A switch point?! on lever 'l is disposed to contact a point 1 on lever 6 A switch point 9 is fixed to the top of lever 6 by the spring mounted lever arm 9". A stop bracket 8 is disposed to limit the movement of lever 'I by-means of the adjusting screws 8 8". A stifi spring H is fixed to lever I to engage stop screw 8'.

An inclined raceway 9 is disposed with its lower end adjacent to the top of lever 6. A metal ball I0 is disposed in raceway 9 and the point 9' on spring lever, 9" constitutes a stop for it as it moves to the lower end of the raceway due to the force of gravity. Adjusting screws l2, I2 afford means for adjusting the spring tension under whichlevers 6 and 1 operate. Levers 6 and 1 are insulated at all points from other parts so that current that reaches lever B by point 9 must pass only to lever I through points 1, l", and from there it can pass back to the battery only by wire 10. r

Openings [4, l4 are formed in the front wall of the raceway S, the floor of the raceway at opening l4 being inclined toward the front side. A return raceway I5 is disposed at the side of raceway 9, being pivoted at the bearing l6. Return raceway l5 comprises end Walls and a floor and front wall, shown cut away, and is mounted so that its upper end is disposed before opening [4, when in its normal position, as shown. An arm l1, fixed to the raceway 9 extends over raceway l5 and is so placed that it prevents the movement of the ball l0 along the raceway l5 when the raceway is at the position illustrated.

A liquid type dashpot unit comprises the outer container I9 disposed on base I with the closely fitted inner container 28 mounted to move ver tically within container 19. Containers I9, are to be filled with a free flowing liquid to about one half the height of the containers.

Container 20 is connected to the return raceway I5 by an adjustable link and lever assembly. The link 2| connects container 20 to a lever 22 which is pivoted at bearing 23. A link 24 is pivoted to raceway l5 and has a pin 24' which extends through the elongated opening 25 in lever 22. A manually adjustable lever 26 is'pivoted at bearing 21 and has link 28 connecting it to link 24. Container 20 has a small port 28 in the bottom, with the cleaner rod 30 fixed to container Hi and extending through port 29. I

A battery 32 supplies the electrical energy to energize coil 2. A wire 35 connects battery terminal 32" to terminal 3 of the coil. A wire 35 connects the raceway 9 to terminal 3 on the coil. Wire It! connects the battery terminal 32' to lever l, which completes the battery circuit through the coil when ball l0 connects raceway 9 to point 9. Y

A spring 4'6 is preferably mounted to raceway 9, making a wiping contact with ball It! as it contacts point 9'.

A supplementary retarding unit of the diaphragm chamber type comprises the air chamber 4| which is fixed'to panel I. A diaphragm 42 extends across diaphragm chamber 4i and is connected to the return raceway [5 by link 4|. An air port with adjustable, valve 43 provides for controlling the flow of air into or out of chamber 4|.

Referring to Figure 2, 9 is the maininclined raceway, I5 is the return raceway, and I1 is the stop arm fixed to raceway 9.

The adjustments and operation of this unit are as follows:

The spring tension on lever B is adjusted, by screw l2, so that points I, 1" close with the desired pressure. Then the tension of lever 1 toward lever B is adjusted by screw l2 so that it almost, but not quite, forces lever 6 toward coil 2. The two levers then form an approximately balanced armature unit which rests lightly against stop screw 8'. When coil 2 becomes energized and draws lever 6 toward it lever 1 also moves with lever B, maintaining a good contact pressure until lever l engages stop screw 8", whereupon the points I, 1" sharply open. Lever 6 continues its movement an instant, then reverses its movement after throwing the ball l up the raceway. Lever 6 then contacts lever I again and .when ball l0 returns to contact point 9' coil 2 is again energized producing a second magnetic impulse, again throwing the ball up the raceway.

Each succeeding movement of lever 6 and ball I0 is of greater force and extent since spring II is deflected more and more by the weight and momentum of the returning ball in accordance with the distance which the ball moves down the raceway. The reaction of spring ll supplements the magnetic pull on lever 6, after the first impulse, so the ball is thrown farther up the raceway at each succeeding movement. Also, the increased movement of lever 1 increases the duration of the closed circuit, afi'ording an increase in the magnetic force at each succeeding closing of the circuit.

After a few movements of lever 6 ball I!) is thrown to the top of the raceway and rolls through the opening it, lodging in the top end of the return raceway, being retained by arm IT. The weight of ball It) then operates to tip the return raceway, this movement being retarded by the dashpot unit I9, 20, and the airchamber unit 4|. Eventually the upper end of the return raceway descends to a point where ball l0 passes under arm I l and rolls to the lower end of the return raceway, which has now become so elevated that the ball can not enter the opening I4. The weight of the ball now reverses the tipping movement, this movement being also retarded by the dashpot and airchamber units. Eventually the ball descends to where it passes into the main raceway and rolls downward to contact point 9 and start a new series of impulses.

Each closing and breaking of the circuit of course results in a high tension impulse being delivered to the terminals 4, 4'. Since the saturation of the coil varies with the duration of the closed circuit it results that the first impulse of each series is comparatively weak, with each succeeding high tension shock impulse becoming stronger. This is a great protection to stock, particularly in case of a change to wet weather, since they will be driven away by the weaker shocks, thereby avoiding the stronger shocks. The link. and lever assembly between the return raceway and the liquid dashpot unit provides for manually determining the extent of the time period which elapses between the delivery of the ball through opening [4 and its reentry to the main raceway through opening l4. When the lower end of link 24 is moved towards the pivot 23 the time period is increased since this increases the required movement of the inner container 20, and also decreases the force that is applied from the tipping raceway.

The extent of movement of lover I is varied by use of adjusting screw 8'. In this way the duration of the closed circuit is controlled so as to obtain the desired number of impulses before the ball is driven to the top of the raceway. By sufiiciently reducing the movement of lever 1 it results that the ball is never thrown entirely to the top of the raceway, in which case the oscillations and shock impulses become continuous and uniform in strength. Also by allowing more movement to lever I the first oscillatory impulse may be made of such strength that the ball is discharged at the top of the chute. In this case the retarding mechanism serves to lengthen the time period between successive impulses,

The construction of the breaker assembly is especially adapted to give dependable operation. It may be noted that although the circuit is alys closed by ball [0 contacting point 9', yet the circuit is always broken by the opening of points 1', 1". These points are constructed to meet this demand and moreover they always open very sharply, which prevents burning. Also theclosing of the circuit is by ball l0 directly contacting point 9', which gives many times more dependable operation than when the ball is merely utilized to move a contact spring. Since point 9 is spring mounted on lever 6 it absorbs the rotary motion of the ball as lever 6 moves back, then returns this energy to start the ball rotating again as lever 6 moves forward. In this way practically no energy is lost.

The supplementary diaphragm chamber retarding unit may be used Without the dashpot unit when desired, as when very low temperatures interfere with the operation of the liquid dashpot unit. Also, usually, the dashpot unit may be used without the diaphragm chamber unit.

I claim as new:

1. In a graduated shock producing electric fence charging system, automatic means for causing the shocks to periodically cease, then to again start and build up strength to a desired maximum, said means comprising an electro-magnet shock coil core, primary and secondary windings on said core, suitable terminals for said windings, an armature lever of electrically conductive material disposed before said coil core, a main fixed, metal, inclined raceway disposed with its lower end adjacent to the free end of said armature lever, said raceway being electrically connected to one terminal of said primary winding, a contact switch point mounted on said armature lever, a metal ball in said raceway, said ball normally contacting said contact switch point to electrically connect said raceway to said lever, a stop lever of electrically conductive material disposed back of said armature lever, a contact switch point on said stop lever, an opposing contact switch point on said armature lever, a spring disposed to move said armaturelever toward said stop lever, to normally hold said points closed, a second and slightly weaker spring disposed to move said stop lever toward said armature lever, a pair of stops fixed to limit the movement of said stop lever, a return inclined raceway disposed at the side of said main raceway and centrally pivoted to tip in a vertical plane parallel to said main raceway, a passageway from the topend of said main raceway, the upper end of said return raceway being normally so disposed as to receive said ball from this passageway, a stop fixed to said main raceway to prevent said ball from moving down said return raceway until the upper end of said return raceway has tipped downward slightly due to the weight of the entering ball, a passageway in the side wall of said main raceway near the lower end, said passageway being so disposed as to receive said ball from said return raceway only after said return raceway has again taken its normal position due to the weight of the ball after it has moved to the lower end of said return raceway, a mechanical yieldable resistance disposed to retard the movements of said return raceway, a manually adjustable lever disposed to control the operative relation between said yieldable resistance and said return chute, a source of electric current which is of suitable strength as related to the angle of inclination of said main raceway, one terminal of said source being connected to said stop lever, while the remaining terminal is connected to the remaining terminal of said primary winding, and secondary conductors extended from said secondary winding terminals.

2. In an electric fence control unit a make and break mechanism comprising an electromagnetic coil with core and winding, said coil being fixed to a supporting base, an electrically conductive inclined raceway fixed to said base and with its lower end adjacent to said coil core, an electrically conductive armature lever which is spring mounted to said base and disposed before said core and with its free end before the lower end of said raceway, a metal ball in said raceway and normally engaging the free end of said armature lever to put it into electrical contact with said raceway, a stop lever which is spring mounted to said base and disposed parallel to said armature lever opposite to said coil core, said stop lever being of electrically conductive material, a contact switch point on said stop lever, said contact switch point being opposed by a second contact switch point on said armature lever, stops fixed to said base to limit the movements of said stop lever, the spring tension on said armature lever tending to move it toward said stop lever, the spring tension on said stop lever tending to move it toward said armature lever the spring tension on the armature lever being slightly the greater to normally move the stop lever away from said coil, and back against its stop.

THADDEUS S. HARRIS. 

